Meerkats - A Colony of Little "People" (14/268)

Meerkats - A Colony of Little "People" (14/268)

They are the star attraction of any zoo: Darting about, standing on their hind legs, disappearing in their burrows, only to pop up again somewhere else. These cute little guys are called meerkats, and are actually distantly related to hyenas. Meerkats live in large families called gangs or clans in the Kalahari desert in southwestern Africa. They all get up together and one of them stands guard while the others forage for food, calling out a warning at the first sight of danger that sends the rest scurrying. They are just as social when it comes to caring for the young: While the females give birth and nurse the babies, the males also put in time as babysitters. Meerkats also fight their enemies together. When attacked from the air, they all disappear under ground together; when attacked by other meerkats, they all gang together, their hair standing on end, and hop about in a kind of war dance to threaten the aggressor. Swiss behavioral researcher Marta Manser has studied the language and behavior of meerkats on the Kalahari for many years.

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